Non-slip dive belt ballast and mold system

ABSTRACT

The non-slip ballast is cast from the non-slip mold with more than two webbing material receiving passage&#39;s side by each, parallel and in a row perpendicular to the belting material.  
     The webbing material is inserted into and through one end passageway of the ballast. The belting material is then turned 180 degrees toward the weight and inserted into and through the second in a sequence passageway, which returns the belting to the side of the ballast of the first entry. The belting is then turned 180 degrees and inserted and passed through the third passageway which forms 360 degrees of ballast to belting resistance. The belting is then turned 180 degrees toward the non-slip weight and inserted and passed through the forth and last passage way of the ballast to join the side of first entry of a four-slotted ballast. This then forms 540 degrees of ballast to belting resistance with weight belt un donned. Weight is easily increased by stacking ballasts and threading belting through more than one ballast per location. The ballasts are woven in plurality until desired total weight on the belt is obtained. To adjust the amount of weight for position on the belting material simply feed the belting material through the passageways until the desired ballast location is achieved.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

[0002] 1. FIELD OF INVENTION

[0003] This invention has two parts. Both parts deal with non-slipweights for scuba and other underwater diving activities. The first partis a mold for casting non-slip dive weights, sometimes, called ballasts.The second part is a non-slip weight or ballast that is cast from thenon-slip ballast mold. The mold has the approximate shape of a ladle.Further, the mold has a main body, a handle, a gusset to reinforce thehandle, and more than two protrusions within the main body.

[0004] The mold that I produced required constructing a pattern formedof wax. However, any shapeable material will suffice. Further, thepattern is placed in casting sand. The shape of the pattern remains inthe casting sand once the pattern is removed. Molten aluminum is thenpoured into the sand cavity and the non-slip mold is created. The onlyopening in the mold is in the top or upward facing position. Further,when the mold is in this position, the protrusions are visible whilelooking in a downward direction into the main body. The shape of themain body depends upon the sought form and/or weight of the ballast.

[0005] Molten lead is then poured into the mold. After the lead hascooled, the mold is gripped by the handle with a gloved hand and turnedto an upside down position. Further, in a downward, striking motion upona smooth solid surface, the cooled lead weight is then ejected from themold and a non-slip dive ballast is created. The plurality of ballastsform a weight belt, worn about the waist, suitable for underwater divingactivities.

INTRODUCTION

[0006] Scuba and other underwater diving activities require extra weightto neutralize buoyancy while diving. To plan for the amount of weightnecessary for this activity, the diver dons his/her diving equipment andenters the water, lake, rivers, ocean, ponds, etc., to a depth that theentire person is submerged without touching bottom. With breath fullyinhaled and diver in a motionless mode, positive buoyancy should prevail(float). Weight is added or removed until the diver sinks as breath isexhaled. By applying this procedure correctly, there is no reason tochange the amount of weights or ballasts on a belt unless there is somechange or alteration to the diver's equipment or diving activities arepursued in waters of various specific gravity. Then, the onlyrequirements are that the ballasts remain in place on the webbing orbelting material, be easily adjustable for positioning on the beltingmaterial and be comfortable to wear about the waist.

[0007] When I received my Open Water Diver certification in 1988, Inoticed that other students in the class were having trouble keeping theballasts on their belts adjusted for position. Each time they removedthe belt and put it back on, relocation of the weights on the beltingmaterial was required. All of the weight belts had slippage on thebelting except mine.

[0008] The lead weights that I had purchased from a local dive shop, Ianchored with a nail through the belting material into the lead weight.The weights remained in place but were not adjustable, nor easilyremoved or replaced to compensate for changes in buoyancy requirements.

[0009] I perceived that I could design a mold to cast lead or other highdensity weights with a configuration that would not slip on beltingmaterial. By casting a multi slotted section into the lead weights, itwould increase the belt-to-ballast resistance thereby insuring a fastballast position on webbing material. Prior art cannot do this withoutthe use of non lead parts, weight containers and/or multi sectionedmolds which require much more effort and skill to manufacture and/or usethan this invention. The cast-in-place multi slot (more than two slots)design will save the belt wearer constant adjustment of ballasts on thebelting material. When weights have slipped from the desired setting,fingers are easily smashed or pinched while readjusting the weights backinto position. My non-slip weights are easily added, removed or adjustedwith dive gloves donned. Dive gloves are difficult to remove and donwhen they are wet and fingers are cold.

[0010] My non-slip ballast and mold system uses scrap aluminum for themold, standard belt webbing, lead from prior art ballasts or other scraplead sources and a standard quick release buckle. All materials areplentiful and readily available at reasonable cost.

BACKGROUND—DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

[0011] I am well aware of the commercially available diving weights(ballasts) and it is my opinion that the concepts disclosed in thisapplication are clearly dissimilar from any such commercial units. Inparticular, my search was directed to a type of ballast for a diver'sunderwater weight belt and/or the mold to cast the ballast.

[0012] The patents of interest that I found are U.S. Pat. Nos.:2,970,448 February 1961 Julio 3,039,273 June 1962 Swindell 3,192,723July 1965 Apperson 3,220,197 November 1965 Christiansen 3,263,432 August1966 Maskell 3,401,529 September 1968 Fifield 3,648,324 March 1972Stradella et al. 3,808,824 May 1974 Johnston et al. 3,851,488 March 19744,789,270 December 1988 Selisky 4,848,965 July 1989 Peterson 5,205,672April 1993 Stinton 6,146,053 November 2000 Nelson

[0013] Johnston et al., (3,808,824), disclosed weights divided into twoparts by a crossbar and metal clips to grip the belting. Selisky,(4,789,270), discloses a weight with a pair of belt receiving slotswhich require a multi part mold. Swindell, (3,039,273), shows aremovable locking-slide device. Apperson, (3,192,723), indicated weightswith a “u” shaped groove and Christiansen, (3,220,197), conveyed aweight secured on a belt with a pin.

[0014] My non-slip dive ballast invention not only eliminates slippageof the weight on the belting material, but eliminates use of bags,pouches, and other weight carrying containers such as are used in U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,205,672, Stinton, (weight pack) and 6,146,053, Nelson,(pouches). Further, my invention eliminates use of Velcro (reg.), snaps,zippers, buckles, pushbuttons, ties, pins, springs, bolts, screws,washers, straps, plates, tabs, or other parts such as are used in U.S.Pat. Nos.: 2,970,448 Julio bolts 3,039,273 Swindell pins and plates3,220,197 Christiansen pins 3,263,432 Maskell pins and straps 3,648,324Stradella washers, screws and pushbuttons 3,808,824 Johnston springs,straps and tabs 3,851,488 straps 5,205,672 Stinton pins, straps andVelcro (reg.) 6,146,053 Nelson Velcro (reg.) and buckles

[0015] Further, there are no cast in place parts in my invention such asthreaded inserts, washers, spring devices, pins, nor holes as seen inU.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,970,448 Julio holes 3,039,273 Swindell holes 3,808,824Johnston spring device 4,848,965 Peterson threaded insert, holes

[0016] Further, no necessity exists for a multi part mold to castcomplicated shapes such as U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,970,448 Julio 3,039,273Swindell 3,192,723 Apperson 3,220,197 Christiansen 3,401,529 Fifleld3,648,324 Stradella 3,220,197 Christiansen 4,789,270 Selisky 4,848,965Peterson

[0017] My invention eliminates the necessity to reposition ballasts onthe weight belt constantly.

[0018] A brief study of the description and an inspection of the sixenclosed illustrations, will confirm the advantages, correctness,simplicity and effectiveness of my non-slip mold and ballast system whencompared with prior art.

[0019]FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of the non-slip weight mold.

[0020]FIG. 2 indicates a three-dimensional view of the non-slip ballast.

[0021]FIG. 3 lays out a cross sectional view of the routing of thebelting material through a single non-slip ballast.

[0022]FIG. 4 depicts a cross sectional view of the routing of thebelting material through a plurality of non-slip ballasts.

[0023]FIG. 5 relates an overall sketch of a completely assemblednon-slip weight belt viewed from the diver's side.

[0024]FIG. 6 is an overall sketch of a completely assembled non-slipweight belt as seen from the side of the belt opposite of the diver oroutside when donned.

[0025] A three-dimensional view of a non-slip aluminum mold is shown inFIG. 1. The mold, FIG. 1, has the approximate shape of a ladle. Further,the mold, FIG. 1, has a main body, 10, a handle, 12, a gusset, 14, toreinforce the handle, 12, and more than two protrusions, 16, within themain body, 10. The mold, FIG. 1, was produced by first constructing apattern made of wax. However, any shapeable material will suffice.Further, the pattern was placed in casting sand. The shape of thepattern is retained in the casting sand once the pattern is removed.Molten aluminum is then poured into the sand cavity and the mold, FIG.1, is created.

[0026] The only opening, 18, in the mold, FIG. 1, is in the top upwardfacing position as shown in FIG. 1. Further, when the mold, FIG. 1, isin this position, the protrusions, 16, are visible when looking in adownward direction into the main body, 10. The shape of the main body,10, depends upon the sought shape and/or weight of the desired diveballast. Molten lead is then poured into the mold, FIG. 1, then thehandle, 12, is gripped by a gloved hand, and turned upside-down.Further, in a downward striking motion upon a smooth solid surface, thecooled lead is then ejected from the mold, FIG. 1, and a non-slip diveballast, FIG. 2, is created.

[0027] A three-dimensional view of a non-slip weight is shown in FIG. 2.The weight or ballast, 20, is the product of the non-slip mold, FIG. 1.The shape and thickness of the ballast, 20, are such so as to attain thedesired heft of the ballast, 20. Located within the ballast, 20, morethan two apertures, 22, are formed which penetrate the thickness of theballast, 20, to accommodate the route through the ballast, 20, for abelting material, 24, such as webbing. Further, the belting material,24, is woven through the apertures, 22, within the weight (ballast), 20.This procedure causes satisfactory resistance between the ballast, 20,and the belting material, 24, to insure a non-slip condition. A crosssectional drawing indicating the route of the belting material, 24,through the ballast, 20, is shown along line 3-3 in FIG. 3 from 3-3 ofFIG. 5. Further, the ballast, 20, can be stacked and the beltingmaterial, 24, woven through a plurality of ballasts, 20, in a singlelocation as shown along line 4-4 of FIG. 4 from 4-4 of FIG. 6 toincrease or decrease the desired weight in that location on the beltingmaterial, 24. A completely assembled diver's weight belt is illustratedin FIG. 5. This drawing shows the diver's side of a plurality ofballasts, 20, woven on a belting material, 24, with a type of quickrelease buckle, 26, installed. Further, FIG. 6 depicts the side of a webwoven plurality of ballasts, 20, and a type of quick release buckle, 26,that is opposite or away from the diver.

[0028] It is my opinion as the inventor that the advantages listed formy non-slip ballast mold FIG. 1, for producing non-slip ballasts, 20,which are used to control bouancy in underwater diving activities, donot appear in prior art. The design of this mold/ballast system asdisclosed and illustrated herein provides a definite and uniqueseparation from prior art.

RAMIFICATIONS

[0029] Any route or passageway through and/or alongside and/or around aballast material with a belting material used as a weight belt, to formenough resistance between the ballast material and the belting materialto cause the ballast material to maintain its placed position on thebelting material. The ballast must be easily adjustable, easily removedand/or replaced on the belting material, be comfortable to wear andavoid use of non lead materials except for the ballasts, belting, and aquick release buckle.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0030] Prior art does the basic job of a weight belt, which is toneutralize buoyancy. However, it is also important to do this in assimple, basic, user friendly, efficient, and inexpensive method aspossible like this invention. The time spent fiddling with unnecessaryfrills and do-dads and keeping track of loose parts and complicateddevices can be better maximized on underwater diving activities.

What I claim includes:
 1. a mold formed in such a manner so as toproduce an underwater dive ballast, which will not move, slip, creep orotherwise change position on a belting material without a deliberateaction from an outside human force.
 2. a ballast containing more thantwo belt receiving slots as formed by the mold in claim 1, which causesadequate resistance between the ballast and the belting material toinsure a fast location of the ballast on the belting material.
 3. aballast such as described in claim 2, which has a provision that allowseasy and user-friendly adjustment, installation and/or removal of theballast on the belting material.
 4. a ballast such as disclosed in claim3 which also has the capability of being placed in plurality, stacked orwoven together with a belting material so as to increase or decrease theamount of weight in a single location on the belting material.
 5. aplurality of non-slip ballasts woven on a belting material with a quickrelease buckle to form an underwater dive belt worn about the diver'swaist to control buoyancy for underwater diving endeavors.
 6. a ballastthat is produced without use of non lead materials and requires onlylead or high density metal for the ballasts, a belting material and aquick release buckle to generate a complete and highly efficientbuoyancy control apparatus.